176 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[May, 
On my lightest sandy soil I plow the ground 
shallow about the first week in May; then put 
on a good coat of equal parts of marl and 
leached ashes (the ashes I get at the soap fac¬ 
tories), which is moderately fine, and spread 
evenly. Just before I want to plant, I prepare 
the ground by passing a harrow over it; then 
take a plow and strike parallel furrows three 
feet and a half apart. A well-rotted compost 
of horse, sheep, and barn-yard manure is put in 
the row and spread along evenly; after which 
two furrows are thrown upon it, and the plants 
set fifteen or twenty inches apart in the row. I 
am careful to prepare only as much ground as 
will be needed for the first setting, as the plants 
after being taken from the beds, delight in fresh 
soil. The earth must be fresh, or the plants will 
wither and die. After the plants have become 
well rooted, I run through with a cultivator and 
level the ground, after which they will begin to 
thrive finely; while the hot-beds are again ready 
to be thinned out. Then the plow and hoe are 
brought into requisition, and the field or patch 
kept thoroughly cleaned, carefully turning vines 
during plowing, and afterwards replacing them. 
I have cultivated sweet potatoes largely after 
this plan, and with good success; it is not so 
satisfactorily performed on soil which is a rich 
sandy loam, where weeds grow and are hard to 
keep down; I therefore practice both plans.” 
It is very desirable to have corn so planted 
that it can be worked both ways, and every 
good farmer prides himself in having his rows 
straight and true. The distance the hills should 
be apart is determined by the size of the 
corn, and the strength of the soil; very small 
corn ought not to be in hills, but in continuous 
rows. Hills of ordinary field corn should stand 
from 3'| a to 4 1 ]□ feet apart each way, and it looks 
best to have the rows of hills cross exactly 
at right angles. So important is this, that we 
think it well to measure the angle at starting 
when large fields are marked out for corn, and 
where the fences or other boundaries are not 
exactly at right angles. This is done thus: 
establish one true base line, as A-B, fig. 2, for 
the first row upon one side; then measure 30 
feet upon it, with a 50-foot tape-line, between 
two points, c and cl; next take 40 feet upon the 
tape from the point c , and draw part of a circle 
where you suppose a line, meeting the line A , />, 
at c, at right angles, would pass; then move the 
end of the tape-line to the point d and take 50 
feet upon it — the point c , on the 40-foot circle 
where the 50-foot circle will cross, establishes a 
line c-e, exactly at right angles to the base line. 
This is easy and takes less time to do than to tell. 
The field is properly marked in two directions 
by a variety of implements. Three cultivator 
teeth, set in a joist to which shafts and handles 
are attached, makes a good marker. Two 
wheels on a 4-foot axle-tree, with a pole having a 
chain dragging upon the 
ground to mark where 
the wheel must run the 
next time, is also a con¬ 
venient implement. If 
the furrows are made 
fully and uniformly two 
inches deep, the corn 
may be dropped and 
SLJl then covered on smooth 
Fig. 2.—eight angle, land, with a harrow on 
its back, or with one without teeth, and loaded. 
We describe a good corn-marker, which makes 
deep marks, in another article. There are 
some pretty good corn droppers, but none 
exactly adapted to planting in rows both ways. 
The dropping is a rather tedious hand process. 
It may be somewhat lightened by having a 
small tin measure, which will hold five or six 
kernels. A little skill is required to throw the 
kernels scattering, but it is done rapidly. James 
Corlis, of Long Branch, N. J., uses a home¬ 
made implement for covering corn, of which 
he sends us a drawing. The runners or scrapers 
(fig. 1) are of l'^-inch oak plank 10 inches high, 
and 33 inches long. These are 
set 34 inches apart in front, and 
9 inches at the rear. They 
are champfered on the outside 
three-quarters of an inch, and 
protected by a strip of iron on 
the inside. There are three 
cross-pieces of inch stuff. A 
smoother, 4 feet long, is at¬ 
tached to one runner behind 
to remove surplus soil, stones, 
and bits of sod. This smooth¬ 
er is attached by carriage bolts, 
so as to be set higher or low¬ 
er. A G-foot stick for a handle 
is bolted to the implement as 
shown. Two horses are used, 
and it may be loaded or run 
simply by its own weight, ac¬ 
cording to the character of the soil. We think 
it might also be used for covering potatoes. 
- t - , m - 
Crows in the Corn Field. 
Crows are not the only birds that trouble corn 
after it is planted, and before 
it is strong enough to defy 
them, but they are so active, 
knowing, and almost insati¬ 
able, that we regard it as a mis¬ 
taken policy to spare the few 
which may be killed, in order 
to secure complete protection 
to our corn fields from their 
ravages. Mr. C. H. Rue traps 
crows in a way which we tried 
last year with complete suc¬ 
cess. He says he goes upon 
the principle that a crow will 
go almost anywhere for an 
egg. If lie cannot find a se¬ 
cluded spot which will answer 
his purpose, he makes a sort 
of little bower of brush stuck 
into the ground, leaving a narrow entrance. In 
this lie makes a rough nest and puts in some hens 
eggs. The sticks must stand close and meet at 
the top so a crow cannot get in, except by the 
entrance ; here a steel trap is set, fastened by a 
cord, covered with tissue paper, and this sprin¬ 
kled over with earth. We practiced placing an 
egg for bait just where the crow, when he eats 
it, will see the others. The first crow that flies 
over will almost surely be the victim, and as 
soon as caught, will make the welkin ring with 
liis cries. This will draw a crowd of sympa¬ 
thizers. The bird may be taken out of the trap 
and fastened to a stake with his wings tied to¬ 
CltOW TltAP. 
gether and left so half a day. He will keep up his 
cries and not another crow will visit that field 
that year, if it be not more than 10 or 12 acres 
in extent. The crow, in case no bones are 
broken, may then be liberated, if the farmer 
is tender-hearted, or used upon another field. 
A Furrowing- Corn Marker. 
Most of the corn markers in general use, 
make too shallow marks, necessitating some 
other mode of deepening. A sled marker 
having two or three runners, 8 inches high 
and 2 inches wide, with their forward end 3 
sawed out so that a cultivator tooth may be 
set in each, accomplishes all that is desired. 
The teeth may be set to run two or two and a 
half inches deep, and the runners following 
pack the earth a little, and prevent the furrows 
filling up. Such a corn marker may be made 
in half an hour, and if fastened with strong 
Fig. 1.—IMPLEMENT FOE COVE KING COEN. 
Planting Indian Corn. 
FURROW CORN MARKER. 
